UCLA or Liverpool?

Marc Pelosi, the #1 soccer recruit in the country, committed to UCLA but Liverpool wants him too. I'd guess that one of the more prestigious teams in the world will be tough to say "No" to.
Here's hoping whatever decision Marc makes works out best for him.

11 months ago gilbert 8 comments 0 recs |

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A slight disagreement

The link quotes him as having heard that if you can’t be at Barca, Liverpool is the best training spot for a young player. In fact, as Barca well knows, that would be Arsenal. Arsene Wenger may lose his young players before they pay dividends for the Gunners, and he doesn’t balance them very well with older players, as Man U does, but his proteges—Gibbs, Wilshere, Walcott, Nasri, Fabregas, van Persie—far outshine any similar group of youngsters.

What a tough choice. A year or two at UCLA with all the educational opportunities in addition to playing on a top collegiate soccer team, or a year or two brushing up against the Premier League. Like you, I wish Marc nothing but the best, but I hope that the best turns out to be some time in the Blue and Gold.

by Herodotus on Jul 9, 2011 8:37 AM PDT reply actions

+1

but at the same time i dont think he would be playing on the #1 team on a top level EPL team right away, probably get loaned out or play with the reserves, so why not use the time in college as your prep, get a degree to fall back on in case a freak injury a la aaron ramsey or Eduardo and you CANT come back? EPL will always be there

by uclabruin34 on Jul 9, 2011 11:36 AM PDT up reply actions

The EPL will always be there isn't really fair

Players have their development really stunted in college compared to the pros. If he goes to UCLA I’ll be ecstatic and it could be that he wants to grow as a person and student. I couldn’t argue with that logic at all, but it will leave him far behind where he could be from a soccer perspective.

Two roads diverged in a wood and I – I tweeted my followers to ask which I should take

by Ryan Rosenblatt on Jul 9, 2011 3:47 PM PDT up reply actions

exactly.

by VeniceBruin on Jul 9, 2011 6:23 PM PDT up reply actions

I actually agree with him

Liverpool shelled out a ton of cash to bring in a lot of the youth development guys from Barcelona and they are running the Liverpool academy now. The youngsters that have been taught by this new regime aren’t up with the senior team yet, but it wouldn’t be hard to argue that Liverpool is the best in the Premier League now. Of course this is all opinion. There’s no really good way to definitively determine this.

Two roads diverged in a wood and I – I tweeted my followers to ask which I should take

by Ryan Rosenblatt on Jul 9, 2011 3:52 PM PDT up reply actions

Ugh

I hate Liverpool. Gah.

by Nestor on Jul 9, 2011 9:14 AM PDT reply actions

+1

Liverpool? Who cares about scrub Scousers that aren’t even relevant anymore?

Glory! Glory! Man United!

by Bellerophon on Jul 10, 2011 9:13 AM PDT up reply actions

if he wants to be a professional soccer player

then it should be a no-brainer to go to the EPL. The training, facilities and exposure to the best of the best, totally blow collegiate soccer out of the water. Liverpool’s reserve team would kick the crap out of any collegiate team. I would also imagine the risk of injury to be greater in college than in an EPL squad, and in the event of injury in the EPL he would have access to the best specialist sports medicine professionals money can buy.

So long as he banks some money up front, he can pay to go to college in the future rather than going on a soccer scholarship. I wish him all the best, and if he decides to come to UCLA and earn a degree he will make himself a better and more rounded individual – but if he wants to focus narrowly and give himself the best chance to become a genuine soccer star, it’s a no-brainer to go to Liverpool.

by VeniceBruin on Jul 9, 2011 3:23 PM PDT reply actions